Warriors Orochi 4 launched just a few days ago worldwide for multiple platforms, including on PC. Unfortunately, looks like developers Koei Tecmo managed to earn the ire of its player base. Fans took to the Steam message boards to point out a glaring issue. That’s because the pricing of Warriors Orochi 4 in several Southeast Asian countries is roughly the same as its base price in the US. It’s as if Koei Tecmo forgot to set proper regional pricing for the game. Take a look at the comparative prices from Steamdb and the image below:
Regional Pricing Problem
Usually, regional pricing in Steam allows for games to sell at lower prices compared to the base cost in the US. Apart from fluctuations in the US dollar and conversion rates, cost of living and average income can also be taken into consideration. For instance, a triple-A title may cost $59.99 USD or $69.99 CAD — you know, richer countries. However, here in the Philippines, that same game might cost around 1,500 Philippine Pesos, or roughly $28 USD. That’s because a less wealthy nation will generally have citizens that wouldn’t be able to afford the same exorbitant prices in the west.
Sadly, given the state of Warriors Orochi 4 seen above, that rule probably didn’t apply. Koei Tecmo has priced the game similar to the base US pricing. It’s affected numerous countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
This makes us question Koei’s business strategy given that its Warriors franchise depicts Asian characters, cultures, and stories. Fans all over Asia have become familiarized with the lore and values of the Three Kingdoms, the Sengoku Jidai, and the anime-like flavor of the Orochi series. Unfortunately, the pricing for Warriors Orochi 4 will burn a hole in the average Asian’s wallet.
This isn’t the first time an incident like this happened. When Dynasty Warriors 9 originally launched earlier this year, it was priced comparatively the same for the US and most Southeast Asian countries — a little over 50 bucks. The only Southeast Asian countries that had regional pricing properly applied were Vietnam and the Philippines. The game launched at around $20 USD in those countries.
We’ll keep you updated with more Warriors Orochi 4 developments. We’ll also have our game review and PC benchmark/technical review later this weekend, so stay tuned.
